Village Of Palatine: Palatine Firefighter's Memorial Dedication Ceremony

Press release from the Village of Palatine:

February 22, 2022

On this day in 1973, volunteer firefighters John Wilson, Richard Freeman and Warren Ahlgrim lost their lives fighting a fire in the Ben Franklin store in downtown Palatine.  The early morning fire started in the basement of the retail store and quickly spread throughout the entire building.  Wilson, Freeman, and Ahlgrim were on the first hose line and died while fighting the fire in the basement of the store.  

The memorial ceremony will be held at the Palatine Firefighter’s Memorial at the corner of N. Brockway and W. Slade Streets in downtown Palatine, IL. The Palatine Fire Honor Guard will step off from Station 85 at 39 E. Colfax at approximately 8:45 AM and march to the Palatine Firefighters Memorial.  The ceremony will begin with the arrival of the Honor Guard at approximately 9:00 AM and include a wreath presentation and ringing of the ceremonial fire bell honoring the three firefighters that paid the ultimate sacrifice 49 years ago.  The ceremony is open to the public and all are encouraged to attend.

This press release was produced by the Village of Palatine. The views expressed here are the author’s own.